The Patient’s Secret

Author: Loreth Anne White
Genre: Crime Fiction/Psychological Thriller
383 pages
Publisher: Montlake, 2022

Synopsis
Secrets worth dying―and killing―for, in a novel of suspense inspired by a horrific true crime by Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author Loreth Anne White.

When the battered body of a female jogger is found beneath the cliffs of an idyllic coastal community, these perfect neighbors suddenly don’t seem so perfect…

Lily Bradley is a respected psychotherapist married to a distinguished professor. They live in a dream house with their two children in close-knit Story Cove. Lily lives a well-ordered life. Or so it seems. As a therapist, she knows everyone keeps things hidden. Even her.

Then sensual and free-spirited Arwen Harper rolls into town in her hand-painted VW van, her sixteen-year-old son riding shotgun. Overnight, Story Cove’s secrets are no longer safe. Because Arwen might know her new neighbors better than they know themselves.

Now someone is dead, and it looks like murder. Brutal and personal. The death invites the shrewd eye of Detective Rue Duval. Rue’s job is to expose secrets. But she’s also an expert at keeping them.

As the lives of three women become inexorably entwined, one thing is clear: when it comes to survival, ordinary people can do the most terrible things.

My review
The Patient’s Secret by Loreth Anne White is a crime fiction/psychological thriller inspired by a shocking true crime that occurred in a quiet neighborhood in the Canadian prairies. Skillfully written, this chilling novel captivates from the very first page and maintains its intensity throughout. White expertly crafts an intricate web of characters, and kept me fully engaged as I pieced together the puzzle to uncover the culprit.

The story unfolds across multiple timelines and perspectives, and I’m impressed by how seamlessly the author ties everything together. Each chapter flows effortlessly into the next. I was captivated by the intricate story threads, the secrets both uncovered and lingering, and the fully realized characters with haunting pasts. The story poignantly illustrates that parents will do anything for their children, just as children will do anything for their parents. Every character is driven by compelling motivations, and no one is purely black or white. It’s evident that even the most innocent may have something to hide. The only certainty I had was that this small community was teeming with men, women, and children involved in things they definitely shouldn’t have been doing.

One of the most striking aspects of this author’s work is the atmosphere she creates. White skillfully uses the setting to reflect the unfolding circumstances, and her sentence structure—often crisp and staccato—along with vivid descriptions, enhances the mood. She truly stands out as one of the best in this genre. With a artful hand, she builds the fast-paced plot layer by layer, and drew me in until I was fully immersed in the twisty rollercoaster ride, trying to untangle truth from deception as the mystery intensified.

Psychological thrillers often dive too deeply into characters’ inner monologues, and stray into tangents that detract from the main story. White avoids this pitfall entirely. Instead, she strikes a perfect balance, revealing her characters’ motivations and backstories without losing focus on the central plot. Every word she uses feels purposeful, and the thoughts and details she unveils are both relevant and essential to the story’s progression.

The Patient’s Secret is a stellar thriller and crime fiction novel that’s nearly flawless. It’s crisp, cleverly written, and utterly engaging. Easily one of the best true-crime-inspired psychological thrillers I’ve read in a long time. Highly recommend, and I’m excited to read more from this talented author.

My recommendation: read it!